Snacking with Hippeas

A few weeks ago I was given a box of snacks to review from the good guys at Hippeas.

Now, I’m not typically a big eater of ready-made store bought snacks, usually opting for fruit, a smoothie or some raw chocolate.

But after reading up on these guys and seeing the good things they’re doing for the snacking market, I took a chance. And man, I’m so glad I did!

These little things might just be my new (potential) addiction. As in, I COULD probably get addicted to them if I was on the road a lot and wasn’t able to prepare my own food at a moment’s notice. Hippea snacks really do give a new leash on life to the usual vegan snacks, ensuring you don’t go hungry whilst not giving you anything you don’t need.

And, they even contain a bit of a nutrition boost too. Win!

Snacking Like a Hippea

So what are Hippeas? Hippeas are little puffed crisps, made from chickpea flour, rice flour, and a handful of natural herbs and flavourings. All in all, they pretty much resemble Wotsits but like, you know…healthier.

The guys gave me four flavours to choose from: Sweet ‘n’ Smokin’, In Herbs We Trust, Cheese & Love and Far Out Fajita.

I find them all pretty tasty and yummy, though of course I have my fave.

Below is my personal preference, in order:

Sweet ‘n’ Smokin’. This one tastes sort of like smokey bacon flavour. I’ve never been a big fan of smokey bacon crisps (or even bacon itself) but this snack just really hits the spot, with a sweet, subtle tomato-like flavour.

Far Out Fajita. Always a sucker for Mexican-related flavours, am I.

In Herbs We Trust. These ones have a moreish garlicky flavour. They’re kind of addictive, like the Sour Cream flavoured Pringles.

Cheese & Love. Not my favourite of the bunch, but still yummy nonetheless. I’ve never been big on cheesy-flavoured crisps so if you are, this will be the one for you.

Crisp Lovers, Rejoice

Back in my (ahem) less healthy, distinctly non-vegan days, crisps were one of my go-to snacks. I could happily eat 2-3 packets of salty crisps as a kid, and as a student would devour a sharing bag of chilli heatwave Doritos whilst studying (eep).

Since going vegan and cleaning up my diet (which didn’t happen at the same time, by the way), I rarely ever eat crisps or anything similar. Since discovering healthier, more nourishing snacks, I just don’t crave those kind of things in the way I used to.

But Hippeas are definitely handy to have around when one is feeling peckish, is in a hurry or on the go. If you have kids, these would be great for them to munch on or have in their lunch boxes. (Of course, these are great lunch box addictions, whatever your age.)

As far as nutrition value is concerned, Hippeas are pretty innocent. Unlike mainstream crisp brands that use a ton of oil (packing in hidden calories), Hippeas use just a hint of organic sunflower oil, bringing their fat to just 4g per packet (0.4 of which are saturates).

Though I don’t ever count calories, some of you will be pleased to know that Hippeas are just 91 calories per bag. And they’re also low in sugar too, clocking in at just 11g carbohydrates per bag.

Where to Buy

Hippeas can be found at a number of stores, including Boots, Holland & Barratt, Planet Organic and Waitrose.